Vedant
I turned to look at her, and the fear in her eyes was palpable.
"Don't be afraid. I won’t do anything to you," I reassured her, my voice steady despite the chaos that had just unfolded.
She nodded slowly, gratitude mixed with terror as she whispered her thanks, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Glancing at my phone, now a shattered mess on the asphalt, I cursed under my breath. "Shit," I muttered, picking it up, but it was useless—black and lifeless.
"My car’s not working now. Let’s just sit inside and wait. My brother will send someone for me," I suggested, trying to offer some semblance of safety.
She nodded, her expression still shadowed by fear, and we climbed into the car—me in the driver’s seat, her huddled in the back.
The night was thick and suffocating, the air heavy with the scent of gasoline and dread. Her clothes were torn and tattered, a grim reminder of what she had just escaped.
Without thinking, I slipped off my shirt and handed it to her. "Here," I said softly.
She looked at me, surprise flickering across her face before she took it. "Thank you," she mumbled, her voice barely above a whisper as she wrapped it around her shoulders.
I leaned back in my seat, my mind racing. Bhai was going to be furious; I could already hear his voice in my head, scolding me for getting into this mess.
I sighed, the weight of the situation settling heavily on my chest.
"What’s your name? And what were you doing out here at night?" I asked, trying to break the tense silence.
"Ojasvi," she replied, her voice trembling. "I came to submit some documents at the office—part of my land is here. It took longer than I expected, and on my way back, those men... they tried to... force themselves on me." Her voice cracked, and fresh tears spilled over.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out a clean handkerchief. "Here," I offered. "It’s clean. I haven’t used it."
She took it, her fingers brushing mine, and began to wipe away her tears, her shoulders shaking as she tried to regain her composure.
"Thank you so much for saving me," she said, her voice still choked with emotion.
"Yeah," I replied, feeling inadequate in my ability to comfort her.
"Don’t cry. You’re safe now." She nodded, a small flicker of relief in her eyes as she clutched the handkerchief tightly.
I closed my eyes, leaning my head against the headrest, trying to collect my thoughts.
As the night stretched on, I wondered how long we would have to wait and closed my eyes.
